The present invention relates to controlling fires, and, in particular, to oil well fires.
The oil well fires of concern to the present invention are those that exist above the surface wherein the oil and/or gas is exiting from or near the wellhead that has been damaged.
The present process used to extinguish oil well fires involves the application of continuous amounts of water in large volumes in the area about the source of the fire. This serves to cool any structures that could re-ignite the fire and allows personnel to approach the fire area to actually extinguish the fire using explosives. Of course, the oil and gas are still issuing from the well. The personnel must now enter this area and cap the wellhead. Although this process has worked in the past several disadvantages exist. For example, a large source of water must be near the wellhead. Also, the oil and gas may re-ignite.
Another process for controlling the fire is to stop the flow of hydrocarbon fluids by drilling a second well bore adjacent to the problem well bore. The second well bore is slanted to closely meet the first well bore. A shaped charge can open up channels through which cement can be placed to stop the flow. U.S. Pat. No. 4,436,154 discloses such in a well having two payzones of highly different pressures.
Where the pipe casing is easily reached, for example, at sea, a cryogenic control valve can be installed stop the flow and then direct the flow to another well head.
The need to develop means for controlling oil well fires was documented in a New York Times article by William Broad as related to the oil well fires in Kuwait. It is noted therein that the problem is two fold: (1) putting the fire out and (2) capping the well. Some ideas advanced include putting 100 ton concrete caps on the burning well to stop the flames; using super cold foams; putting explosives collars on the pipes using implosion technology to seal the pipes; putting a cryogenic valve on the wellhead like the above patent.
Thus, there is a need for a process to control oil well fires with a minimum of equipment and time.